Frequently Asked Questions

Instahelp is a digital platform for online therapy and psychological counselling. From booking an appointment right through to the session itself and chatting, everything is managed centrally via the Instahelp app.

Here’s how Instahelp works:

1. Find a suitable psychologist: Answer a few short questions, and the matching system will suggest psychologists who are a good fit for you. You can also browse the directory yourself.

2. Arrange an initial consultation: Once you’ve made your selection and completed payment, your psychologist will contact you via the Instahelp app within 24 hours to arrange a suitable appointment with you.

3. Have your initial consultation: The initial consultation usually takes place within 7 days of registration. You’ll get to know each other, discuss your concerns and decide on the next steps together.

4. Start counselling or therapy: In subsequent sessions, you’ll work on your issues in a solution-focused way. Your psychologist will support you throughout the entire process. You’ll agree on the frequency and duration of sessions based on your individual situation.

The initial consultation (30 mins) costs 49€. For follow-up sessions, the standard session lasts 50 minutes and costs 89€. Alternatively, you can opt for a 30-minute session for 59€. Couples therapy or counselling costs 159€ for 75 minutes.

There is no subscription and no minimum commitment period. You decide, together with your psychologist, how many sessions are appropriate.

Payment is made in advance. When you book an appointment for your next session, payment for it is triggered automatically. The amount paid remains as credit for that session until it has actually taken place. If you do not wish to have automatic payments, your psychologist can deactivate this feature.

You can apply for a cost subsidy for online psychological therapy in Austria. You can find out more here.

With Instahelp, you can access both online psychological counselling and online therapy.

Online psychological therapy involves the treatment of clinical conditions (e.g. depression, anxiety disorders) through psychological interventions via live video calls. It is currently available exclusively in Austria.

Psychological counselling offers support for mental health issues such as stress, anxiety, depressive moods, relationship problems, emotional challenges or difficult life stages.

At Instahelp, both online therapy and counselling are provided exclusively by psychologists and psychological psychotherapists.

Instahelp therefore offers an accessible additional service to the existing local counselling system and can be used either on its own or as a complement to psychological treatment or psychotherapy.

Find out more about online counselling.

Yes. All psychologists and experts at Instahelp are clinical psychologists, health psychologists or psychological psychotherapists who have completed a degree in psychology, have at least three years’ professional experience, and have undertaken the ‘Online Counselling’ supplementary training programme at the Sigmund Freud Private University in Vienna.



You can find details of their qualifications and areas of specialism directly on each psychologist’s profile.

Quality assurance includes ongoing professional development, supervision and close collaboration with the Sigmund Freud Private University in Vienna, as well as a scientific advisory board.

Your sessions are end-to-end encrypted. Instahelp operates in strict compliance with the GDPR and is hosted in Europe.

The relationship with your psychologist is a key factor in your success. That’s why it’s worth choosing carefully. After a few quick questions, the matching service will suggest suitable psychologists for you. If you’d rather browse for yourself, you’ll find all the profiles in the directory, including their areas of specialism, qualifications and reviews.

The videos and descriptions of working methods and approaches give you an initial impression of how a psychologist works and whether they might be a good fit for you.

You’ll often get a sense of whether it’s really the right fit during the initial consultation. And if it isn’t, that’s perfectly fine: you can change your psychologist at any time. To do so, go to ‘Manage counselling’ in the app, then tap ‘More info’ and ‘Change psychologist’.

Yes. Studies show that online psychological treatment is just as effective as face-to-face sessions. This is particularly well documented in the case of cognitive behavioural therapy for depression and anxiety. A meta-analysis comparing video-based psychotherapy with face-to-face sessions confirms this. The key factors are the relationship with your psychologist and your active participation.

83.2 per cent of Instahelp users report positive changes after three weeks, whilst 94.1 per cent feel comfortable, valued and understood (based on users’ own reports).

More on the effectiveness of Instahelp

On average, customers rate Instahelp (psychologists_rating_score:) out of 5 stars, based on over (psychologists_rating_count:) reviews.

Have you used Instahelp yet? Share your experience on Trustpilot. Your review will help others make a decision.

During the first session, you’ll get to know each other: you’ll explain what has brought you to Instahelp, you’ll set your counselling goal and agree on how often you’ll meet. You don’t need to prepare. Feeling nervous, falling silent or searching for the right words are all part of the process – nobody is judging you.

From the second session onwards, you’ll work together on your issue, including exercises for everyday life.

The session takes place in the Instahelp app, via video call, phone call or text chat – whichever you prefer. You can remain anonymous if you wish. All conversations are end-to-end encrypted and comply with data protection regulations.

Find out more about the initial consultation

Video call or phone call: Most counselling sessions at Instahelp take place via video. Facial expressions and body language help us to understand each other even better. If you feel more comfortable without the camera on, you can switch off the video at any time. Online therapy takes place via a synchronous video call.

Text chat: If you find writing easier than speaking, text chat can be a good alternative. You can take your time to put your thoughts and feelings into words, and you can read back over your messages at any time later on. It’s important that you enjoy writing and set aside enough time for it.

Online therapy or psychological counselling offers you the following benefits:

• Confidential and discreet: You can use a display name of your choice and, if you wish, an anonymous email address. This means you can remain completely anonymous throughout the entire process.

• Flexible communication options: Decide for yourself whether you’d prefer to communicate via video call, phone call or text chat.

• Available wherever you are: Access counselling wherever suits you best – at home, on the move or whilst travelling. This means no need to travel or wait in a waiting room. You can use Instahelp on your desktop, tablet or smartphone.

• Flexible timing: Book a session whenever it fits in with your daily routine – even in the evenings or at the weekend.

In general, you can use Instahelp from the age of 16.

It is also possible to use the service if you are under 16, provided a parent or guardian gives their consent and covers the cost. In this case, you must briefly inform the psychologist of this consent via chat or in a conversation.

This keeps the process as straightforward as possible whilst ensuring that the necessary consent is in place for underage users.

Instahelp offers online psychological counselling in over 20 languages. During the matching process, you can specify your preferred language for counselling and will be suggested suitable psychologists who offer counselling in that language.

This allows you to discuss personal matters, where possible, in the language in which you feel most confident and at ease. Actual availability may vary depending on the language and the psychologist.

Set aside some time for yourself before and after your session: beforehand, to wind down and get in the right frame of mind for the conversation; afterwards, to let what has been discussed sink in for a moment or to jot down some notes.

Where you have your session is entirely up to you. The most important thing is that you feel comfortable and undisturbed.

• Choose a quiet, private place.

• Minimise distractions and switch off notifications.

• It’s best to use headphones for video or telephone calls.

• If needed, have a pen and paper to hand for taking notes.

This will help you create the right conditions to get the most out of your session.

At Instahelp, you can also access online couples therapy or counselling. The sessions take place via video call. The only requirement is that you are both able to take part in the session together in front of the same screen.

Couples counselling also begins with a joint 30-minute initial consultation for 49€. During this session, you’ll discuss your current concerns, challenges and expectations with your psychologist and clarify what further support might look like for you.

Couples counselling or couples therapy at Instahelp lasts 75 minutes per session and costs 159€.

Find a psychologist specialising in couples therapy.

If you would like to work as a psychologist at Instahelp, you can apply directly via our online application form. Requirements include, amongst other things, a relevant qualification in psychology, at least three years’ experience in counselling or treating adult clients, and a willingness to complete the ‘Online Counselling’ training course.

Once you’ve applied, we’ll review your documents, followed by a personal interview to get to know you.

You can find all the information on requirements, the application process and how to apply here: Apply to work as a psychologist at Instahelp

Yes, Instahelp is ideal for supporting your employees’ mental health. Counselling is provided anonymously, which helps to keep the barrier to using the service as low as possible. We also offer counselling in over 20 languages – making it perfect for international teams as well.

Find out more about our corporate services here.

With Instahelp, you can pay conveniently by credit card (Visa or Mastercard), PayPal, Google Pay or Apple Pay. Payment is made in advance.

From the second session onwards, payment is debited automatically to ensure your counselling continues seamlessly. However, payment is only debited once the session you’ve already paid for has taken place and an appointment for the next one has been arranged.

There is no subscription; you only pay for the sessions you actually use.

Yes. If you’d like to change the duration of your next session, please discuss this with your psychologist and specify whether you’d like a 30- or 50-minute session.

Under ‘Manage counselling’ in the Instahelp app, you’ll find your current counselling package, its validity period and your current payment settings.

Overview of our current prices and services.

If you’d like to cancel or reschedule an appointment, simply message your psychologist via the chat and ask for a new appointment or to cancel.

At Instahelp, a 24-hour cancellation policy generally applies: appointments must be cancelled or rescheduled at least 24 hours in advance – even in the event of illness or other last-minute reasons. Otherwise, your psychologist is entitled to payment, as the reserved time can no longer be allocated to another client.

If you wish to end your counselling completely, go to ‘Manage counselling’ in the Instahelp app and select ‘End counselling’. You can do this right up until just before your next payment is due.

You can continue to use any sessions you have already paid for. After that, no further payments will be taken and your counselling slot will be made available again.

At Instahelp, payment for your sessions is always made in advance: usually 48 hours before the appointment. If an appointment is arranged at short notice, payment is due 15 minutes after the appointment has been booked.

A refund is possible if the session has not yet taken place and the appointment was cancelled at least 24 hours in advance. For cancellations made later than this, a refund is generally not possible. If the appointment is cancelled by your psychologist, you will be offered an alternative appointment or can request a refund.

Refund requests are assessed on a case-by-case basis by Instahelp Support. If a refund is possible, it is usually processed within 7 working days; for credit cards, it may take until the end of the month.

In justified cases, a credit note for future services may be issued as an alternative.

With Instahelp, counselling sessions are paid for in advance. The payment is therefore used to activate your next session and make it available for your upcoming appointment.

The amount you have already paid remains as credit towards your next counselling session until it actually takes place. Only once this credit has been used up will the next payment be due.

In short: the debit relates to your upcoming session – not to a session that has already taken place.

If you wish to redeem a voucher or activation code, you can enter it directly during the registration process in the ‘Payment’ section. The consultation sessions included will then be automatically applied.

If you have a discount code, you can redeem it during the payment process.

If you already have an active counselling session with Instahelp, please contact our support team at support@instahelp.me. We’ll be happy to help you redeem the code.

In Austria, it is generally possible to receive a contribution towards the cost of clinical psychological treatment from the statutory health insurance scheme. Instahelp offers online psychological therapy provided by clinical psychologists for this purpose.

The requirements include, amongst others:

• You are insured with a statutory health insurance provider in Austria.

• Your psychologist meets the eligibility criteria for the cost subsidy. Suitable psychologists will be shown to you in the matching process; you will also find a note about this in their profile.

• You have a mental health condition or a psychological disorder as defined under social security law.

• A medical examination and confirmation from your doctor must take place no later than before the second session. A diagnosis must be stated on the invoice. It is important that psychological therapy begins within 3 months of the medical confirmation being issued. If you already have a diagnosis that is no more than 3 months old, please inform your psychologist.

• Online therapy takes place via video call.

• To claim reimbursement, you will need the medical confirmation and your invoices, which you must submit to your health insurance provider.

Please note that Instahelp cannot guarantee whether, or to what extent, your health insurance provider will subsidise your online therapy.

To claim the cost subsidy for up to the 10th session, you must submit the invoices for psychological therapy and the doctor’s certificate to your relevant statutory health insurance provider.

The medical examination can take place after the first session, but must in any case have been carried out before the second session. This means that, in principle, the first session may also take place before the medical examination. If the examination was carried out at a later date, you should check directly with your health insurance provider to clarify whether a subsidy is possible and, if so, from when.

You can obtain further information from your statutory health insurance provider:

ÖGK: https://www.gesundheitskasse.at
SVS: https://www.svs.at
BVAEB: https://www.bvaeb.at

No additional authorisation is generally required for the first ten sessions. If you wish to receive a cost subsidy from the 11th session onwards, you must submit a corresponding application to your social insurance provider in good time.

Under ‘Manage Counselling’, you can enable the receipt of fee invoices and enter the necessary details.

After each completed session, a fee invoice containing the required details is automatically generated as soon as all the necessary information from you and your psychologist has been provided. It will then be available for you to download under ‘Manage Counselling’.

Your personal data and fee invoices are end-to-end encrypted and can only be viewed by you and your psychologist. Instahelp itself has no access to them.

Can’t see any fee invoices? This may be because:

• you haven’t yet enabled the receipt of invoices or haven’t provided all your details,

• your psychologist has not yet issued the invoice.

The amount of the cost subsidy varies depending on the statutory health insurance provider. Your specific health insurance provider will decide whether your particular online treatment is eligible for a subsidy. Here is an overview (as at January 2026):

Austrian Health Insurance Fund (ÖGK):
30-minute session: 19.30€
60-minute session: 33.70€

Social Insurance Institution for the Self-Employed (SVS): Session from 25 mins: 29.18€
Session from 50 mins: 50.00€

Social Insurance Institution for Public Servants, Railways and Mining (BVAEB):
Session from 25 mins: 29.20€
Session from 50 mins: 50.20€

Information provided without guarantee. As eligibility criteria and subsidy amounts may change, we recommend that you check the current conditions directly with your social insurance provider in advance.

Yes. To use Instahelp, you need a free account. You can register straight after being matched with or selecting your psychologist.

To do this, choose a display name, enter your email address and set a password. You can then log in to your personal counselling room at any time via the Instahelp app or in your browser.

Selecting your psychologist and registering are free of charge. You’ll only be charged once you’ve activated or booked a counselling session.

Yes. All data you exchange with Instahelp is end-to-end encrypted.

Your messages are protected by a secret key to which only you and your psychologist have access.

The key is automatically regenerated every time you log in and is stored exclusively on your device during your session. This ensures that your messages cannot be decrypted or read, even if the Instahelp servers are attacked.

If you’ve forgotten your password, you can request a new one using the ‘Forgotten your password?’ option on the login page. You’ll then receive an email containing a link to reset your password.

Please also check your spam folder if the email doesn’t arrive straight away.

If you are still unable to log in or no longer have access to the email address you provided, please contact our support team at support@instahelp.me

To use Instahelp, all you need is a standard web browser – whether on a computer, tablet or smartphone.

For mobile devices, we recommend downloading the Instahelp app directly from the relevant app store rather than using it via your browser:

• Google Play Store: https://play.google.com

• Apple App Store: https://itunes.apple.com

Supported browsers:
We recommend a Chrome-based browser such as Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Brave or Vivaldi. Apple Safari, Mozilla Firefox and Opera are also supported. Please always use the latest version of your browser. No additional software installation is required.

Video and phone calls via Instahelp are initiated by your psychologist. You’ll arrange an appointment in advance. At the agreed time, you’ll receive a call directly within the Instahelp app.

It’s best to log into the app a few minutes beforehand. As soon as the call starts, a window will appear allowing you to accept the call.

During the video call, you can switch your microphone and camera on or off at any time. You also have the option to choose a virtual background.

If you’re experiencing technical issues, the following steps usually help:

• Update your browser or app: Use an up-to-date browser on your computer – we recommend Google Chrome – or the latest version of the Instahelp app on your smartphone or tablet.

• Test audio and video: Open ‘Test Audio & Video’ in the three-dot menu . There, you can check your internet connection, microphone and camera step by step. If you encounter any problems, you can send the test report directly to our support team.

• Check your internet connection: For video and audio calls, a minimum download and upload speed of 1 Mbit/s is recommended. You can check your connection at netztest.at. If necessary, try a different Wi-Fi network or mobile data connection.

• Restart the app or browser: Reload the web app or close and reopen the Instahelp app.

Is a connection error message displayed continuously?
First, check your internet connection and restart the app. In corporate networks, necessary connections may be blocked by a firewall.

If the problem persists, please contact our support team at support@instahelp.me

Yes. Instahelp is GDPR-compliant, with data stored and processed within the EU. Counselling data and messages are end-to-end encrypted and can only be accessed by you and your psychologist.

You choose a display name when registering and can use an email address that does not reveal your identity. Your email is used only for account-related communication.

Two-factor authentication allows you to secure your account in addition to your password. You can use passkeys or an authentication app for this – or both at the same time.

Passkey: If your device supports passkeys and you’ve set up fingerprint or facial recognition, for example, you can authenticate directly via your device. You shouldn’t store passkeys on shared devices.

Add more devices:
Under Edit account > Two-factor authentication > Change, you can add further passkeys or an authentication app

Lost your device or is a third party accessing it?
Deactivate two-factor authentication. This will invalidate all stored methods, which can then be set up again.

Under Settings (the three-dot menu in the top right-hand corner), you’ll find the option to delete your account under ‘Edit account’. This will permanently delete your stored account details and your access to your counselling room.

With an active Instahelp account, you can take part in the referral programme.

You can find your personal referral link directly in the Instahelp app under ‘Help others grow’. You can copy it or share it directly via Messenger and social media – with as many people as you like.

For a referral to count, the person you invite must:

• benew to Instahelp,

• register via your personal referral link,

• use their own account.

Self-referrals and duplicate referrals are not permitted.

For every successful referral, you’ll receive a €10 bonus. For every fifth successful referral , you’ll also receive a one-off payment of €20.

The bonus will be automatically credited to your account during your next consultation. You can check your current bonus balance at any time in the Instahelp app under ‘Help others grow’.

You will only receive your bonus once the people you’ve invited have completed their initial consultation. If the initial consultation is cancelled and refunded, no bonus will be awarded. Verification can take up to 72 hours.

For the person you’ve invited: They’ll receive a €10 discount on their initial consultation when they register via your referral link.

Your accumulated bonuses will automatically be applied to your next consultation and deducted from the total amount.

Please note that bonuses can only be redeemed in increments of 10, and a maximum of €40 can be redeemed per consultation. Any remaining bonuses that cannot be redeemed in increments of 10 or that exceed €40 will be carried over to your next consultation and automatically applied then.

Cash payouts are not possible. The bonuses can only be used for future consultations with Instahelp.

If you end your consultation with Instahelp but keep your account, any existing bonus will be retained and taken into account for future consultations.

Please note, however, that if we do not detect any account activity within 24 months, we reserve the right to deactivate your account, which will result in any remaining bonus being forfeited. If you deactivate your account yourself whilst still holding a bonus, this will also be forfeited, as cash withdrawals are not permitted.